Grilled Swordfish with Citrus Pesto

It ‘s hot, hot, HOT out there…so I wanted to make something light and fresh for dinner and serve it al fresco (aka - eat out on the deck). We hadn’t had fish in a short while, and I was craving swordfish like mad, so I did some searching and thinking. I started with Giada’s Swordfish with Citrus Pesto and added my own touches and sides.


Citrus Pesto:
1 bunch fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
1 lemon, zested and juiced
zest of 1 orange and juice of 1/2 orange
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated Asiago

I combined the basil, pine nuts, garlic, zests, juices, salt, and pepper in a food processor until the mixture was finely chopped. With the machine running, I gradually added the olive oil until the mixture was smooth and creamy. I spooned mixture into a bowl and stirred in the parmesan and asiago, and set in fridge to chill.

Swordfish:
I placed in a baking dish and brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkled with salt and pepper. I placed the swordfish on the grill for about 4 minutes per side. Once I turned, I brushed other side with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper combo.




Accompaniment:
I served the entrée with an orange field green salad with orange-white wine vinaigrette. I used (GASP) bagged field greens, chopped some radicchio, shallots, and sliced orange segments. I combined in a sald bowl. To make the dressing, I combined the following (but I didn’t measure, so these are estimates)…

Orange-White Wine Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 clove garlic
Dash of sea salt
Dash of fresh ground black pepper
Zest of 1/2 orange
Juice of 1/2 orange
Streamed in extra-virgin olive oil
Small amount of basil, chopped (maybe 4-5 large leaves?)

I combined all ingredients in the food processor and mixed until well blended, then chilled. Right before serving, I gave a shake and poured over salad.

I chose a light white wine to serve with the meal…and since a bottle of Voga Italia Pinot Grigio was already chilled in the fridge, this was our winner. I hadn’t tried this before, but loved it! I am typically a chardonnay girl when it comes to white, but this pinot was PERFECT for this hot summer night and this light meal. The wine was very mild and light, delicioso!

The entire meal, including the wine, got an enthusiastic thumbs up from my husband, which I must say is quite a feat. When we met 5 years ago, he had a strong dislike of wine and a hatred of all seafood. My hunny has come a long way!